For years, the Cleveland Guardians have been looking for some offensive juice in the outfield. Of course, they haven’t necessarily done much to address that in free agency or with big trades.
However, the answer to their issues might be here already. Cleveland made sure Kahlil Watson is on their roster, and the Guardians outfield prospect is emerging as a potential impact player.
“The Guardians made their moves ahead of the Rule 5 draft deadline, protecting four key prospects by adding them to the 40-man roster. The additions of Khalil Watson, Angel Genao, Austin Peterson and Yorman Gomez reveal exactly what the organization values most: power potential and positional versatility. Of the four players protected, outfielder Khalil Watson stands out as potentially the quickest to make an impact at the major league level,” the “Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast” stated.
The Miami Marlins selected Watson with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. The Guardians then acquired him two years later in the Josh Bell trade.
Watson has put in the work in the minors, and he’s turned heads in the Guardians’ farm system. It took him a little longer than expected, but he’s finally breaking out.
The Guardians promoted him to Triple-A Columbus in July. There, the left-handed hitter made big strides by changing his approach at the plate, developing power without giving up contact.
Watson had an .835 OPS in 43 appearances with the Clippers. He drew 22 walks and had 10 stolen bases, eight home runs, seven doubles and one triple.
The Guardians have been looking for an offensive spark for a while, but Watson is much more than that. He’s always been seen as an elite defensive prospect, and he has shown the ability to play all three positions in the outfield. He still has some hurdles to clear, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in the majors next season.
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